What Constitutes a Gospel Tract?

It should be a simple thing to write God’s plan of salvation on a small pamphlet for mass distribution, but evidently something continues to muddy the waters. The sheer amount of faulty gospel tracts available is mind-boggling. Perhaps there is too much copying of a bad formula. I have come up with a list of five things that a tract must contain to be considered a proper gospel tract:

The Bible

We know that "…faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom. 10:17), thus it is important for a tract to contain lots of scripture. Sometimes writers do a poor job paraphrasing a verse when simply quoting the verse would have been better. Even worse, some tracts contain little to no scripture at all! We must use the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17), to reach the hearts of men. It's also noteworthy to have the correct bible, the King James Bible, being quoted.

The Gospel

A tract isn’t a gospel tract without the gospel, right? Surprisingly many tracts don’t contain the gospel! Specifically: the entire gospel. I’ve read many tracts that focus on the need for Jesus Christ without telling the reader what Jesus Christ has done for them. Perhaps the most common error I’ve come across is when tracts forget to mention the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. His death (that He died for our sins), burial and resurrection (He rose from the dead bodily) must all be present. If all tracts contained a condensed version of 1 Cor. 15:1, 3-4 as shown below, the gospel would be covered.

"...I declare unto you the gospel... how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:" 1 Corinthians 15:1, 3-4

Salvation by Faith Alone

It must be clear to the reader that salvation cannot be earned by good works and that redemption is being offered by God as a free gift. The reader should know that God saves sinners by His grace when they believe the gospel and trust Christ as their Saviour. Far too many tracts add to faith with repentance of sins (obeying the law) or changing one’s lifestyle. Works also include confession and prayer. Even if a “sinner’s prayer” isn’t written out to be repeated by the reader, by merely quoting Romans 10:9-10 the writer is stating that faith alone is not enough to be saved. 

Epaphras laboured in prayers. Labour means work. Prayer is a work!

"Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God." Colossians 4:12

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

A Theme

Every tract needs a theme. A tract’s theme could simply be the gospel or the blood, a question, personal testimony or a holiday, but a theme is required. This is also something the majority of tracts get correct. However, many tracts get carried away with a theme and end up botching the gospel or leaving little room for scripture; this is unacceptable. 

An Invitation

A gospel tract should press the reader to make a decision to trust the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour. It should also mention that the alternative to trusting Christ is eternal damnation. Most tracts get this right. "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men..." 2 Cor. 5:11

The Bible

The Gospel

Salvation by Faith Alone

A Theme

An Invitation

Feel free to use this list when shopping for tracts or as a checklist when writing your own.